Film phonograph



P 8, 1931- ca. A. DEL VALLE 1,822,727

FILM PHONOGRAPH Filed Oct. 15, 1929 Inventor'I GuLLLer'mo A. deLVaLLe, bWW HLs Attorney.

Patented Sept. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES- FATE N-r' OFFICE ouILLmo A. max.'V-A-LLE, or sCImNEC'rADY NEW YORK, 'ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELEC- TRICCOMPANY, A CORPORATION QFNEW YORK FILM PHONOGRAPH Application filedOctober 15,1923 Serial no. 399,836,

My invention relates to a film phonograph and particularly to mechanismforming a" My invention will be better understood from the followingdescription taken in corn nection with the accompanying drawings and itsscope willbe pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a combined side view and circuitdiagram of a con: struction involving my invention and F 1g.

2 is a perspective view of a portion thereof.

The film 1 which in the operation of the machine unwinds from reel 2 andwinds up,

on reel 3 may have a sound record forming a single track or have aplurality of record tracks thereon extending parallel to each other asillustrated at 4 in Fig. 2. The film may be driven at the desireduniform speed by any suitable means-and may be supported at the point atwhich the record is reproduced by any suitable gate device. In thepresent embodiment I have shown the film as sup ported and driven by thedrum 5 which by the worm wheel 6 and worm 7 is connected to the motor 8.Within the drum 5 is the" photoelectric cell 9 which is suitablyconnected through amplifying devices in the well known manner to a loudspeaker. In the construction shown a narrow light beam is focused uponthe film by the optical system indicated at 10, the light modified bythe sound record passing on into the cell.

Where the film approaches and leaves the" drum it passes over therollers 12 and 13 re-j' spectively.

Arranged above that'part of the film ex? tending from the reelv 2 to theroller 12 I have provided the apparatus now to be described fordeenergizing the driving motor when the end of the sound track isreached from which reproduction is being made. Frictionally supported inthe wall 15, which may form a part of a casing enclosing the apparatus,is the shaft 16 which terminates the initial position in which it illustare a series of in the pointer 1( and knob 18. Rotatably mounted on theshaft 16 is the arcuate contact operating le er 20 having the nut": 21which engages the screw threads 22 onlish aft 16. Lever 20 also has thecontact arm to which is secured the movablecontact 24 which when thelever is rotated bythefilm arranged to connect with the fixed comr des.Coil'spring 26 havingits ends sec ired re spectively to the\Villllfttlilfl lever through the screw cap 2T seryes toreturn theli-verto ted,

id at a suitable stop, not sliown, being provid that position. (.hi theface of the levee-'20 pins or projections having ounded ends and in theliln'r at' the end of each sound record track is a series ofperforations 30 adapted to receive the projections. 29. The lever 20 isso positioned above the film thatit does not beginjto contact'therewithuntil the film isnearly all unwound at which time the position of thefilm is represented for example by the dot and dash line; turning theknob l8 on shaft- 16 a quarter turn the levcr2O is moved axially anamount equal to the distance between two adjacent sound tracks, thepointer 1 7 cooperating with the fixed scale marked off i i quarters. Swtch contacts 245-and 25 close the circuit the relay 33 tlieoperati'on ofwhich opens theniotor circuit at 34.

Su tably means, not shown, are employed for causing registration of thelight beam and the particular soundtrack from which reproduction is tobe: made and before or during the reproduction the ln ob and. pointerare turned to the-corresponding sound track number; Shortly before theend of the film is reached the projections in the lever 2O begin totouch'the film and when the end of .the track is reached they engage inthe openings 30. The continued. movement of the film then rotates thelever to close the circuit at contacts 24 and 25 which by the operation ofthe relay 33 opens the motor circuit at 34. The motor soon comes torestand'beforethe film has been entirely "withdrawn from the reel '2.The film may then be wound back on reel 2 byhand or if desired byreversing the motor.

I have chosen the particular embodiment described above as illustratedof my invention and it will be apparent that various modifications maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of my inventionwhich modifications I aim to cover by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to'secureby Letters Patent of the UnitedStatesis:

1. In a film phonographadaptedtoreceive a roll of film having a{sound'record track unwound to a predetermined diameter: said film havinga plurality of openings therein at the end of each sound track, andmeans for selectively shifting said member laterally of the film tocause it to be operated by the openings at the end'ofa-ny sound-track.

' In witness whereof; I have hereunto set my I handthis l lthday ofOctober, 1929;

thereon, a member normally spaced from thefilm and arranged to beengaged by said film when the film roll has'been unwoundtoapredetermined diameter, said film having means at the end of saidsound track for'moving' said member in response to its linear movement.

2. In a film honograph adapted to receive a roll of film aving a soundtrack thereon and actuating means at the end of said track,

a member arranged to be actuated by said means in response to the linearmovement of the film being unwound from said roll said member beingnormally out of engagement with the film and arranged to become engagedwith the film when the roll has de-' creased to a predetermineddiameter.

3-. In a film phonograph adapted to reproduce-sound from a filin havinga plnrality of sound record tracks thereon, a film actuated memberhaving a film engaging portion, said film having an opening adjacent theend of each sound track and means for sele ctively moving said memberlaterally of the film to be engaged by any one of said openings.

4. In a film phonograph adapted to receive a roll of film having aplurality of sound record tracks thereon, a member arranged to becomeengaged by said film in'response to thereon arranged tobec'o'me engagedwith said film when the roll has been unwound to a predetermineddiameter, said film having a plurality of openings therein at the end ofeach sound track arranged to be engaged by the respective projections,and means for shifting said member laterally of said film to be operatedat the end of one or another of sound record tracks.

. 6. In a film phonograph adapted to re- 'ceive a' roll of film having aplurality of sound record tracks thereon, 'a curved circuit controllingmember having a plurality of projections thereon arranged to becomeengaged with the film when the roll has been

